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What size aquarium light should I get for my planted tank2007-11-24 23:42:27

So, now that all of that technical stuff is out of the way, the question is what does one use for decent planted tank lighting? My recommendation is fluorescent lighting - it's cheap, energy efficient, and will yield exceptional results if your tank is less than 18" deep. The lights should be on for about 10 to 12 hours per day, and you'll need about 2 - 4 watts per gallon with a colour temperature of approximately 5000K and a CRI of 70 or better. Unfortunately, sometimes it's difficult getting a light with this kind of colour spec., so a trick I've found that works quite well is to use two different tubes. You could, for example, use one 'plant light' which is pinkish in colour and has a colour temperature of about 3100K. The second bulb could be a 'daylight' tube which has a colour temp of about 6300K. The result is good plant lighting and a naturally coloured tank.

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You should be able to find the wattage bulb you need at any GOOD acquarium or pet supply store. Have you thought about a "grow" light. They offer the best of the red & blue hues needed by plants for growth and health. White lights and incandescents only offer a minimum of these hues and are not the best for plants. Various size/wattage grow light bulbs should be available at your local nursery also. So you are not limited to pet stores.

Of course the other thing you need to realize is that no matter what light you get if you have real plants in your acquarium you will need to regulate how much time per day the light is on. Real plants do need about an 8 hour rest period each day.